M Venkaiah Naidu,
Indian Express
As we mark the supreme sacrifice by our security personnel and others in the diabolical attack on this day 17 years ago on the Indian Parliament, the temple of our vibrant democracy and the symbol of people’s aspirations, we not only have to strengthen our resolve to make every inch of our motherland a safer place, we also need to step up our diplomatic efforts to combat the ever-growing global menace of terrorism. We have to build stronger coalitions against this scourge that is afflicting humanity. Read More››

CL Manoj,
Economic Times
Breaching BJP’s projected invincibility in three Hindi heartland states is likely to invigorate the Congress in the Lok Sabha polls to be held in a few months, particularly in nine states which would see a direct BJP-Congress contest for 126 Lok Sabha seats. It was the BJP’s sweeping victories against the Congress in MP, Rajasthan, Gujarat, Assam, Chhattisgarh, Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh, Haryana and Goa in the 2014 Lok Sabha polls that helped the Modi-led BJP secure a simple majorit. Read More››

Surya Sarathi Ray,
Financial Express
While its ambitious national highway (NH) construction targets have been hard to reach, the NDA government has clearly outdone the previous UPA dispensation when it comes to expanding the country’s national highway network. Four-and-a-half years into its tenure, the NDA has built 33,361-km of highways, a trifle more than what UPA did in the seven years between FY-08 and FY14 (see chart). Of course, pure-play public private partnership (PPP) ventures, which had come to a grinding halt... Read More››

Pathikrit Payne,
Pioneer
Rarely in the recent past has there been any country like India which has been able to extract so many concessions from the US even while successfully meandering through American sanctions against purchase of state-of-the-art defence systems from Russia. The signing of the deal for S-400 air defence systems worth $5.43 billion earlier this month between India and Russia is significant in many ways. It is not just another deal but an exemplification of the coming of age of a regional powerhouse... Read More››

Hari shankar vyas,
Pioneer
All talks on the grand alliance of the Opposition parties have been put on the back burner for now, and no one will talk about a united front until the results of elections in five States are out. In fact, the Opposition parties are not even talking to each other about the mahagathbandhan these days. The parties, which have nothing to do with the elections in five States, say the decision on alliances will be taken only after the results. Read More››

Narendra Modi,
Indian Express
Yesterday, the United Nations honoured me with the ‘Champions of the Earth Award’. While I was extremely humbled at receiving this honour, I do feel that this award is not for an individual. Instead, it is a recognition of Indian culture and values, which have always placed emphasis on living in harmony with Mother Nature. It was a proud moment for every Indian to see India’s proactive role in mitigating climate change being acknowledged and appreciated by the United Nations... Read More››

Manish Chand,
Pioneer
Reset seems to be the reigning buzzword, and strategic autonomy the operative mantra in India’s diplomatic lexicon. In fact, it is set to be the year of diplomatic reset for India with three of its key strategic partners and major global players, including the US, Russia and China. Amid a rapidly mutating geo-strategic environment, Prime Minister Narendra Modi held his first informal summit with Chinese President Xi Jinping in Wuhan in April, paving the way for a new phase of post-Doklam stability in India-China relations. Read More››

I think it is absolutely essential for all of us ...That in this battle, we need the Kashmiri people on our side. It's a battle for sovereignty, it's a battle against separatists and terrorists and the key is also held by the people. And therefore our approach has to be guided by the fact that those people are on our side, and not with the separatists.Arun Jaitley, Finance MinisterRead more...

GST in Modi’s new India -Introduction of Goods and Services Tax (GST) heralds India’s emergence as an economic union seven decades after we became an independent political nation. A late night Parliament session befitted this historic moment. more ››

Hima Das, the new poster girl of Indian sportsBiju Babu Cyriac,
Times of India From driving a tractor around her dad's paddy fields in Assam's Nagaon district to ruling the track at the World U-20 Athletics Championships in Tampere, Finland, millennium girl Hima Das has now become a trail blazer in Indian athletics. The 18-year-old, who finished fifth in 200m at the World Youuth Athletics in Nairobi last year...Read Full Article››

The last DivaGautam Chintamani,
Pioneer In the 2012 film My Week With Marilyn, there is a scene where Michelle Williams, who plays the legendary screen diva Marilyn Monroe, is enjoying a moment of happiness where she can be herself in the company of a young production assistant, portrayed by Eddie Redmayne. The moment is shortlived and as she notices others approaching her, the actress says, “Shall I be her?”...Read Full Article››

Handsome he was, but there was much more to Shashi KapoorNimish Dubey,
Financial Express “Handsome” was perhaps the most repeated adjective when obituaries to Shashi Kapoor rolled out in media, social and otherwise. And this was to an extent understandable, for the man, during his acting career in India, was mainly known for playing the charming, often vulnerable romantic hero. Shashi did try his hand at a few macho rules...Read Full Article››